Movie Review: Gangs of Wasseypur Part II..is a fitting conclusion to the revenge saga

Clocking at a combined runtime of 320 minutes, the Gangs of Wasseypur takes a long time to tell its tale. However, with the refreshing manner in which it is presented, the solid performances by its entire cast of characters, the contextual and thumping music that comes in every now and the transition of the story across practically a century without losing its audience, you’ve got to hand it to Kashyap. The Gangs.. project was ambitious but as the final credits roll in on part II, you clearly feel that he has done justice to the revenge saga and created quite a classic. It may not be perfect but it is pretty darn good
Part II begins pretty much where Part I left off and I mean that in every respect. The same solid performances by a diverse cast of characters, convoluted plotlines and cinematographic brilliance across some sequences. In fact, Part II also continues to introduce new characters all of which are very welcome. With names like Definite, Perpendicular and Tangent, one was already curious and each name’s explanation in the movie is pretty satisfying. What’s more some of these new additions are pretty much central characters and not mere ‘sidies’ thrown in for fun.
However, as was the case with the first version, part II also suffers from some unnecessarily extended story-telling, stretching of the plot where it could easily have ended half hour earlier and dragging through some scenes that add little value. In fact, the attempt to inject humor at one of the most important moments in the movie, fails all reason.
While the performance of the entire cast is noteworthy, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s screen presence and Tigmanshu Dhulia’s restrained performance deserves special mention, as does the striking Huma Qureshi as Faizal Khan’s love interest. The music is good though not as contextual as part I and thankfully there aren’t too many songs in this instalment.
Overall, Part II offers all that the build up promised if not more. If you liked part I, you owe it to yourself to find out exactly how the revenge saga turned out.

Movie Review: Ice Age 4: Continental Drift..just about manages to keep it together

Ice Age 4 offers nothing new. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the Ice Age series has been pretty good fun all through. However, it is now looking rather episodic and drawn out rather than the fresh presentation the initial versions had. While the other series (Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story) improved with every sequel, this is one series that has pretty much remained the same.
Ice Age 4 then, is just about, the same wine in the same bottle. If anything, its becoming more kids oriented and the gags are comparatively lesser. At this point, I don’t really care if there’s an Ice Age 5, rather I am hoping there isn’t. Part of the reason for this indifference may also be that while the herd started off with fresh and quirky characters, there hasn’t been much progress since Manny, Diego and Sid got together and now they are definitely getting older. By now, even Scrat is beginning to look repetitive – I guess there’s no better indication
As for the current version, well its got all the usual stuff. Animation is top drawer and the 3D is well utilized, though I thought we could’ve done with a little more depth in some scenes. All the voice actors are in good form and the packaging of the movie is also pretty decent. One thing this version definitely misses is more of the smart gags – some laugh out loud moments that the earlier versions offered. Unless they can manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat, this series may well be on its way to extinction. Its been a memorable journey, but its important to realize when its time to go.
Ice Age 4 then, doesn’t make the must watch list. Still, with the other offering being Kya Super Kool Hain Hum..its an easy choice. At least this one won’t give you a headache

Movie Review: Kya Super Kool Hain Hum..Kya Bakwas Hai!!

This one’s a no brainer – and I mean this in every sense of the phrase possible. The only reason I was keen on watching this sequel was because I had quite a few laughs with the original that released a few years back. If I had been given quite the same helping I would’ve been satisfied, but nothing could have prepared me for the bizarre, crude and downright amateur stuff that Kya Super Kool..has to offer. Forget Super..this one’s not even Kool..not by a long yardstick
This is usually that part of my review where I start off with something good about the movie..and I am actually struggling. Other than a handful of clever quips, most of the one-liners make you cringe, hold your head in frustration and wish that you’d never ventured to the hall in the first place. Gone is the nicely paced setup of the original offering, with decent characters, interesting situations and absolute laugh out loud sequences. Instead, what you get is an all the time in-your-face motley collection of one-liners distributed across dialogues, no story to speak of and absolutely nil connect with the characters. The somewhat saving grace is some of the song and dance, but that’s also probably because Dil Garden Garden is a clear lift from the Flo Rida hit – Right Round (from Hangover fame)
In the acting department, Riteish is in good form but this time doesn’t have the dialogues to support him in his fairly comfortable comedic avatar. Of the others, it pains one to see a veteran like Anupam Kher playing the role he does in the movie, though he still manages to bring a laugh or two due to his performance alone.
To expect any depth whatsoever in a movie made purely for the purpose of fun is a stupid expectation and I went in with none. What I did hope for was at least some of the laugh riot that the original had presented if not an all-out entertainer. What I got instead was a mind-numbing barrage of useless one liners that left me dazed. If this is not warning enough then probably your mind is numb already and Super Kool..couldn’t possibly do more damage.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises…No..it doesn’t

It is with a heavy heart that I choose this title for my review for what has been easily the most anticipated movie of the season. With the The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan gave us one of the finest experiences in cinema, in a long time and instantly catapulted himself to that elite list of magical film-makers. Even as one emerged from the theaters then, one thing was amply clear – nothing would be better than this.
However, as the euphoria began to rise, trailers began to come and news around the movie and its plot began doing the rounds – some hope emerged – could it really be possible? could Nolan actually outdo himself? The anticipation reached a crescendo and the release of the film was met with packed houses
Sadly, it was all for nought. The curse of the third instalment of the trilogy (matrix revolutions, spiderman 3 etc.) was only too obvious as a disappointed and dejected viewer emerged after the last 165 minutes of the caped crusader. Forget Dark Knight, even Batman Begins was miles ahead of this last offering.
Movies like The Dark Knight and Inception have put Christopher Nolan in a special place. Almost where you felt that even if he made a bad move, it would still be a pretty good offering. However, with The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan probably offers his weakest movie till date. If Dark Knight and even Batman Begins offered you a complex and convoluted plot, psychological terror and thrills at the same time and memorable dialogues, The Dark Knight Rises fails miserably in all those 3 departments. Instead TDKR, relies on showing brawn rather than brain, explosive set pieces rather than unexpected events and twists and turns that add no merit to the story. The only saving grace is that you get to see Anne Hathaway looking delectable in a catsuit and delivering her role to perfection, so you can imagine the disappointment.
The first half of the movie starts well and builds in a familiar manner and you gear up for something exciting. However, the weakest point for Nolan is that the character of Bane is pathetic. That Bane is no Joker is but obvious, but his portrayal is too ‘in your face’. He may look menacing all right but by talking more than probably any other character including Batman himself, he leaves no mystery around him, his plans or what you can expect next.
To give credit, there are some jaw dropping action set pieces but they too are marred by an inept background score. If the first half gives you some hope, the second half dashes it hard into the ground. The action is predictable to the point of being mundane, the dialogues are cheesy and plain irritating. After gems like ‘This city deserves a better class of criminal and I’m gonna give it to them’, one expected a few more master lines that lasted for the next decade or two but TDKR almost seems written by someone else entirely. There is not one dialogue that stands out or stays with you.
At the end of the day, its really some fine acting by the entire cast that manage to leave some credit for the movie – Bale, Hardy, Oldman, Caine, Freeman, Marion, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Anne all deliver an earnest performance.
I really cringe while typing this review out because this is so not what I would have liked to say about the movie – but its important to face the truth. The Dark Knight deserved a better finale, a better tribute and Nolan was the right man for the job. Let’s just accept that he had a bad at the office.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spiderman…is an unnecessary reboot to the franchise

When I first saw the trailers of this reboot of our friendly neighborhood web-slinger (and I am big fan)..there was only one question on my mind..Why?? Why would you plan a reboot for a franchise that had fairly established itself (of course, barring Spiderman 3 which is where things probably started to go wrong). Sam Raimi’s spiderman pretty much captured the essence of the superhero across various dimensions. What was the need for a re-boot? Unfortunately, after seeing the movie..I still ask the same question
If there was one thing about Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, it knew the story it wanted to tell and told it well. In stark contrast, the story development in Amazing Spiderman is horrendously weak. Its almost as if the director wanted to just separate himself from the earlier franchise..by whatever means possible, even if it made no sense. So while Parker is still going to be bit by a spider there’s some unnecessary and unconvincing nonsense around how it happens and how he becomes Spidey. In fact, in the entire first half, the only saving grace is that though they replaced the character of Mary Jane with another girl, we get the much prettier and imminently watchable Emma Stone to play the love interest
Thankfully the movie picks up significantly after that and we get what we really came to see. With Spiderman having discovered who he is, its the Spidey action that really grabs your attention. You see, the thing about Spidey is that he is extremely fast, but with the marvellous camera-work of The Amazing Spiderman, the camera manages to stay on him every single frame so you follow the action to the T.
Andrew Garfield as the new Spidey tries his best to look the part but doesn’t manage to do very well in the end. Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curtis Connors, though, does a really good job and despite a weak villain makes quite an impression. Our own Irrfan Khan is also there, though his dialogues are minimal and he delivers them in his trademark no-nonsense fashion.
If the trailer of this re-boot impressed you, well it was meant to..because there isn’t too much the new Spidey has to offer. However, that 40 odd minutes of Spidey action is about the most immersive and well executed parts of the movie. Its also probably the only time when you notice the 3D. You can pretty much watch the first half of the movie without the glasses altogether, for all the 3D it offers.
All in all, the new age action, camera work and special effects make a new Spiderman movie every bit worth the effort. If only they had done it as Spiderman 4 (in continuation of the franchise) this could have been one kickass movie. As it stands though, there is little that is ‘Amazing’ about the new Spiderman and if you decide to give it a miss, you won’t miss much

Movie Review: Gangs of Wasseypur..waise not so special

Gangs of Wasseypur could have been special. It had all the ingredients – a nice long plotline spanning multiple generations, multiple characters, stellar performance by a not so A-grade star cast, contextualized music and songs that would pipe in every now and then and add meaning to the scenes being shown and finally, original and thoughtful direction in the masterful hands of Anurag Kashyap. Yet, it ultimately falls short.
The beginning of this movie is solid. Right from the first scene, the stage gets set and you gear up for a nice long (oh yes its long..180 minutes) drama with adequate thrills and chills all the way through. The narrative is crisp and the voice over keeps you posted especially in times when the movie practically gallops in between. The language is crude and very authentic to the setting of the movie and the visual display also matches the tone.
The big issue with Gangs..is that after the initial focus on character development, it becomes very evident to the viewer that this is going to be one long drawn and sometimes tedious ride. Initially one is able to follow the main characters, their complexities and shades..then one begins to get lost in a myriad of under-developed characters suddenly popping up from nowhere. Some scenes are unusually long when they give no additional message or meaning to the script and story and one gets the feeling the maybe the director got just too carried away with the saga he wanted to tell and the canvas he had for it.
Further, there is no sense of urgency, especially in the second half and there is no telling when one can expect a climax or if at all, there will be one. The initial tension that was built up in the air, just dissipates and one is just waiting for it all to be over, irrespective of who wins or loses
This is really a pity because there is otherwise a lot of good work that Gangs..has to offer. Music and sound has been used exquisitely with slight undertones to every melody/ lyrics one gets treated to. As the movie progresses, however, that too becomes one song too many and one practically cringes towards the final music sequences. The performances of the entire cast are noteworthy and probably what really lifts the movie despite the long runtime. Scenes are also masterfully shot and despite their rustic setting, sport a distinct sheen
At the end of it all, what Gangs of Wasseypur offers is fine cinema per se, but gets too long lost in telling its story. To think, that is only half of the saga and there is another 3 hours of this mafia family to expect..unfortunately doesn’t generate much excitement especially if its going to be like its first instalment. That said, I missed the trailer of part 2 which I believe, comes after the credits of part1 (wish I'd known earlier :(..and from what I've heard, it really sets expectations from part 2 of the movie..so who knows..the Gangs..may have kept the best for the last
As for the verdict on part 1 - Go for Gangs..if you are a huge Anurag Kashyap fan, have a genuine appreciation of good cinema and are willing to spend a visibly long time in the theatre.

Movie Review: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted..are definitely worth catching

I think I can safely say that the animation movie series can teach a thing or two on how to make sequels. As was the case with Toy Story 3 and Kung Fu Panda 2, Madagascar 3 again manages to raise the bar and significantly at that.
This time back in 3D, our favourite zoo animals are in fine form and clearly a lot of work and effort has gone into making this 3rd and probably final edition. Its almost as if they surveyed what we loved about the first instalments and made that the centrepiece of this movie. In fact, its harder to write a review for such a movie without sounding like a broken record since everything is just great; just how you want it to be in a Madagascar kind of movie
I think I should stop commenting on the quality of animation because that’s almost becoming a hygiene factor these days, no longer deserving special mention. The 3D is also clearly emphasized though it could do with a little more depth in some scenes (I know, I am being greedy) There are plenty of laughs to be had and for the familiar fans watching this one after having seen the first two movies there are some moments of pure delight. A single line from King Julian will have you guffawing while the unfamiliar crowd would wonder what was so funny about that line. Still there’s plenty of new laughs too so even if you haven’t seen the earlier editions, you should be fine
The movie isn’t just plain fun. The writing is intelligent and there are many references to cult movies, places and cultures for those who can catch them. Finally, the movie brings joie de vivre to the circus, a dying form of entertainment today, and some might even reminisce their younger days when they watched the glorious act of the circus
All in all, the movie is arguably the best in the Madagascar Series and your only regret would probably be seeing the ending credits while wishing that the fun could last a little longer